"From today onwards, you will stay in the family. Cultivate well and I will arrange for people to protect you."
After saying this, Norton was about to remove the spatial magic and bring Hughes back to the present world. However, at this moment, Hughes reached out and stopped him.
"Father, I want to tell you my opinion."
Norton turned around and looked at Hughes from head to toe.
"Don't tell me you don't want to stay at home. Didn't the assassination two years ago teach you a lesson?"
Hughes was not intimidated by his father's imposing manner. After three years of Lonely Magic Training, Hughes'heart had long been tempered by endless loneliness and was incomparably firm.
At this time, he already had his own ideas. He did not want to hide in the family and grow up slowly, to be a flower in a greenhouse.
This time, he wanted to step on the sword and dance, face the unknown danger directly, and use himself as bait to lure out the enemies hidden in the darkness one by one.
"Father, hiding at home, I will be safe for the time being, but in the long run, will we really be able to rest easy?"
"Just as you said before, our family has too many enemies. These people are constantly looking forward to our downfall. Will they stop attacking us without me, the easiest opening to break through?"
Hughes reached out to hold Norton's hands and said in a deep voice,
"Father, instead of waiting for death, why don't we try to take the initiative to attack?"
"We can only wait to be beaten up if we defend passively. However, if we take the initiative to enter the fray, we will be able to gain a portion of the initiative."
Silly Child, of course you have to defend passively. However, how could I not have prepared a backup plan?
I, your father, have not lived in vain for so many years. I still understand the logic of striking first to gain the upper hand.
Even though he already had a plan in his heart, when Norton saw Hughes'sincere expression, he still did not have the heart to interrupt his son.
After all, his son had been in seclusion for so many years. It was not easy for him to walk out of the shadows and regain his confidence. It was also a good thing to give him some time to express his views.
"Tell me what you think. Let me hear it."
Norton reached out and patted Hughes on the shoulder, encouraging him sincerely.
"My plan is very simple."
Hughes looked straight into Norton's eyes and said with a firm tone,
"I will be the bait myself. I will lure out all those who harbor ill intentions one by one!"
"In five days, Hiro Royal Academy's entrance exam will begin. I want to participate in this exam!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Norton's grumpy voice exploded in Hughes'ears.
"Nonsense! This is simply nonsense!"
"Have you forgotten how you were trampled into the ground from your position as a genius three years ago?"
Norton was furious. He pointed at Hughes'nose and started cursing.
"The Empire has been established for 2,700 years. Do you think there's only a genius like you who has a peak innate spiritual power? But other than you, which genius doesn't start with high-level elemental affinity!"
"Three years ago, you were schemed against by someone and you were disheartened. I couldn't bear to tell you about this."
"But just now, I've already told you so clearly. Someone schemed against you and someone wanted to destroy you. How could you still come up with such an unreliable plan! Are you trying to anger me to death?"
As he spoke, Norton raised his fist and was about to punch Hughes. But before his fist landed on Hughes, he retracted it.
After so many years, Hughes had suffered a lot. Now that he had just made a breakthrough, he really could not bear to pour cold water on Hughes at this critical moment.
"You're only fifteen this year. Do you know what it means to have mastered the magic circuit at your age?"
"The Empire has been established for more than two thousand seven hundred years. A mage who can master the Magic Circuit at the age of twenty is already a peerless genius. There are only a dozen or so under the age of twenty who have mastered it."
"As for the person who can master the magic circuit at the age of 15, other than you, there has only been one other person since ancient times."
At this point, Norton suddenly stopped speaking. After taking a deep breath, Norton put on an extremely yearning expression and said in a deep voice,
"That person is the founder of the Hiro Empire, a tier-9 mage God, and the Emperor of the Europa continent -- Napoleon Bonaparte!"
"The reason why I want you to stay at home is to hide your talent and give you time to grow. With such talent, in time, your achievements might not necessarily be smaller than Emperor Napoleon's."
"You understand my painstaking efforts!"
After saying that, a worried expression appeared on Norton's face once again.
In the end, paper could not cover fire. Hughes'current cultivation was still very weak. With his eighth-level Saint Magister's strength, it was enough to cover up the fluctuations produced by Hughes'cultivation.
However, as Hughes'cultivation level continued to increase, his ability to cover up would become more and more stretched. At most, he would be able to hold on until Hughes'fifth rank. His magic array would no longer be able to completely isolate the fluctuations produced by Hughes when he was cultivating.
One had to know that Hughes was a mage with innate maximum level spiritual power.
Now, by chance and coincidence, he had untangled the spell set up by the traitor. Not only did he regain his elemental affinity, but he had also mastered the magic circuit.
The intensity of the elemental baptism when he advanced to Tier-5 was comparable to that when an ordinary mage advanced to Tier-7.
The intensity of the elemental fluctuations was not something he could hide.
'Let's take it one step at a time. I'll hide it for Hughes until he reaches Tier-5 first,'Norton thought to himself.
"It's settled then. Listen to me and train hard. You Don't have to worry about anything else. I'll take care of everything for you."
After saying that, Norton looked up from the corner of his eye and carefully observed Hughes'expression.
However, after peeking for a long time, Norton did not see any signs of wanting to agree from Hughes'face.
As expected, his 'stubborn'son shook his head in the end.
"Father, let me do it according to my plan. Normally, I have the ability to protect myself. When I'm promoted, I'll naturally return home and do as you request."
"Heh, if you have the ability to protect yourself, fine. If you can block my investigation, I will agree to it!"
Norton was also angered by Hughes'ignorance. A magic apprentice who had yet to undergo the baptism of elements actually dared to boast shamelessly, 'you can protect yourself.'
It was simply the biggest joke in the world!
One had to know that in the entire imperial capital, other than the group of lunatics in the anti-magic Research Institute, there were already seven level-eight saint magisters on the surface. There were even more hidden in the shadows.
In the eyes of these magicians who could be called gods, a mere magic apprentice could be easily detected with a flip of the palm.
Once the enemies of the family knew that Hughes had a magic circuit, those people would kill Hughes at all costs!
"Alright, don't argue with me. Just do as I say."
Norton gave another order and was ready to end the conversation.
However, at this moment, Hughes, who was standing in front of him, took out a box from his pocket.
The box opened and a black, irregular-shaped stone was held in Hughes's hand.