"Master, please try this." Vivian respectfully placed a yellowish beverage in front of her teacher.
"Have you finished sweeping the Magic Tower?" The long-bearded old Mage in a blue robe glanced sideways at his apprentice, and at the cup on the table.
"Halfway done," Vivian said cautiously. She had been sentenced to daily cleanings of the Magic Tower ever since she’d used her master’s savings to buy Uncle Musa a ship and a full cargo.
"When can I go and check out the Nightmare Forest?" She stood before her master with her head down, fidgeting slightly with her hands, all while sneaking glances up at him—just like a child who wanted to go out and play before finishing their homework.
"You’re quite capable, aren’t you? Even managing merchant ships now." The old Mage snorted. He had plenty of savings and didn’t really mind Vivian spending that bit of money. He was more afraid her aggressive actions would expose her. After all, Torch City was chaotic at the moment, with several factions desperately vying for profit. If anyone discovered a wanted fugitive from the Merlot Clan, they would surely stop at nothing to hunt them down.
"Master, I was wrong." Vivian immediately whispered, admitting her mistake.
"Are you sure your brother is in the Nightmare Forest?" The old Mage sighed, picked up the cup from the table, and took a sip.
"Yes, I tried using the Divination Technique again yesterday, and it still showed he’s in the Nightmare Forest." Vivian immediately looked up and replied. She felt that her master’s attitude seemed different today, and he might agree to her request.
"Your current strength is insufficient for what you have in mind." The old Mage shook his head and took another sip of the yellow beverage. ’This flavor really isn’t bad.’
"But I’m already a Mage Apprentice, and besides," Vivian’s tone was anxious, "my brother has been missing for a long time. I also heard that many Adventurers have died recently in Yangjiao Town."
The old Mage didn’t speak immediately, but silently looked at his apprentice. After a few seconds, he said, "It was that Knight Guard Captain from your clan, wasn’t it? Named Musa, right?"
"Yes, it’s Uncle Musa." Vivian knew her master was asking who was gathering information for her. She nodded. "He also brought back this drink. He said it’s a specialty from Yangjiao Town called ’Red Bull.’"
"He is indeed a trustworthy person," the old Mage said, nodding slowly. "And this drink tastes quite good."
"So, Master, does that mean I can..." Vivian asked tentatively upon hearing his reply.
"No." The old Mage downed the Red Bull in one gulp and replied decisively.
"But my brother..."
"Your brother will be fine. I went to see that old bastard Affif a few days ago." The old Mage clutched the cup, deliberately avoiding his anxious apprentice’s gaze.
"I’ve already used the Divination Technique, Master."
"Not the Divination Technique," the old Mage turned to his apprentice, a look of resignation on his face. "The Prophetic Technique. Your brother will not be in any mortal danger for some time to come."
"Really?" Vivian’s eyes widened. She knew that the Arcane Mage Affif’s Prophetic Technique was infallible, and her own mastery of Arcane Magic was nowhere near the level required to learn it.
"Yes. And it cost me a great deal to help you." The old Mage said with a smile, though he started grinding his teeth by the end. "That old bastard... I haven’t even settled our old scores, and he still had the nerve to demand an exorbitant price."
"That’s wonderful! Thank you, Master." Vivian bowed deeply. The news was a great relief, but more than anything, she just wanted to see her brother, Shire, standing right in front of her.
"Sigh..." Seeing the lingering worry on his apprentice’s face, the old Mage had no choice but to say, "In a little while, I’ll personally take you to Plantagenet City to meet Affif. You can ask him questions about Arcane Magic and have him do another prediction for you."
"Will it be dangerous to go to the Royal Capital?" Vivian blinked her bright eyes, looking at her master with hope.
"With two High Tier Great Mages watching over you, what could possibly happen?" The old Mage chuckled, paying no mind to his apprentice’s concern.
"And another thing," he added after a moment’s thought, instructing his apprentice seriously, "don’t even think about sneaking out to the Nightmare Forest. It’s not safe."
"Not safe?" Vivian was puzzled. "Isn’t the Nightmare Forest just full of goblins? Can’t you take them down with a few Flaming Arrows?"
"No, not goblins. If it were just goblins, no one would care," the old Mage said, looking at his apprentice gravely. "Someone is conducting experiments in the forest. Biological experiments."
"Biological experiments?"
"Mm," the old Mage glanced at the bookshelf beside him. "Someone deluded themselves into thinking they could permanently solve the Demon Plague, but their methods were too radical, completely disregarding human life. They’ve now been expelled from the Magic Federation."
"The Magic Federation? You mean the Supreme Magic Alliance formed by High Tier Great Mages and High Tier Warlocks?" Vivian exclaimed. "If so, that person must be incredibly powerful."
"Yes, very strong. Only a little weaker than your master, me." The old Mage lifted his chin slightly after he spoke.
Vivian looked at her master and sighed internally. ’They’re all so old, yet they still compete with each other.’ But she quickly caught the key point of his words. "Solve the Demon Plague? But isn’t the Demon Plague incurable?"
"Yes. This person wanted to use various types of Poison to stimulate the body, hoping to build a resistance to the Demon Plague." The old Mage raised his hand. In front of them, several lines of faint blue light sketched out the forms of several creatures. "Unfortunately, he failed. Many lives were lost, and one of his breeding grounds was destroyed by Valentine, the Border Count of the Fran Kingdom."
"I see," Vivian said, nodding. "But if someone could really solve the problem of the Demon Plague, it would cause an uproar throughout the entire Magic World, wouldn’t it?"
"First, the Demon Plague is incurable." Her master wagged his finger, and the sketched creatures burst into shimmering points of starlight that then fell and vanished. "Second, if someone really did solve the problem of the Demon Plague, they would certainly be revered by all magic users. But they would also become an object of study for many Mages and Warlocks."
Hearing her master’s words, Vivian was suddenly reminded of the stories she’d heard about Dark Mages who would extract a person’s soul to study their memories and past, searching for something they desired.
"You’re right." She hugged herself, shuddering.
"Alright, now that you understand, don’t leave the Magic Tower for a while. Stay here and focus on practicing your Molding Magic." With a stern expression, the old Mage waved his hand at his apprentice, and a gust of wind blew Vivian out of the room.
SLAM. The moment the door closed, the old Mage’s voice came from inside the room. "Don’t forget to bring Mamadou his meal!"
Vivian stuck out her tongue. The young Beastman was locked in the basement by her master, forced to sculpt statues out of clay. He was forbidden from leaving until he had made a certain number.
She knew this was her master’s way of punishing Mamadou while simultaneously training his Elemental Coordination with earth.
"Okay, I’ll bring him some food in a bit!" Vivian shouted from outside the door before turning to head down the stairs.
’Thank goodness my brother will be safe for a while. That’s a relief.’ She patted her chest, letting out a soft sigh. ’I could ask Uncle Musa to make another trip to Yangjiao Town, though. I can’t believe the last voyage turned such a profit.’
Vivian smiled, remembering how her brother used to make fun of her for losing all the money in the "White Shell" trading company she had started.
’And this ’Red Bull’ seems pretty good. Even Master likes it.’ She had made a large mug of the yellow Red Bull Powder for the old Mage. Uncle Musa had told her it was a local specialty, a gift from a merchant in Yangjiao Town.
’Now, I need to get serious about my Magic studies. After worrying for so many days, I need a good night’s sleep first,’ she said with a smile, cupping her cheeks.
「Night fell.」
An old yet energetic voice rang out in the Magic Tower. "Vivian, don’t sleep. Get up and continue practicing your Magic."
"No, Master, I’m so sleepy."
"What do you mean sleepy? Drink a cup of that Red Bull you brewed. You’ll find you have the energy to commune with the elements again."
"But Master, I want to sleep."
"Don’t sleep! On the path of Magic, if you don’t advance, you retreat. Now that we have something so good to keep you energized, how can you slack off? Go make yourself a cup of Red Bull."
"Master, the Red Bull is all gone. There’s none left."
"Here. This is your master’s—my—bank draft. Have Musa Knight go buy more. A lot more."
"No, Master, I don’t want to."
...
"No, I’ve already told you everything!"
「Black Lion City.」
In a dark alley, Ricardo was being crushed in the coils of a Star Realm Python.
"Finding you was no easy task," Elma said, their voice mocking from beneath a black Cloak. "Not only are you unusually vigilant, but you also find some unnoticed corner to hide in every few days."
"If my Summoned Beast hadn’t been constantly tracking your scent, you might have actually slipped out of Black Lion City."
"Spare me, I beg you." Ricardo gasped, feeling the python’s coils growing ever tighter.
"Tell me everything you experienced in the Relic," Elma asked calmly.
"Didn’t I already tell you everything? Young Master Philip himself questioned me at the time," Ricardo said between gasps.
"I’m not from the Count’s Mansion." Elma wagged a finger, and the python tightened its grip.
"I’ll talk, I’ll talk!" Ricardo struggled to say. With his neck constricted, he couldn’t even shout.
Soon, he once again recounted the full story of the Storm Brotherhood’s expedition.
"Exploding fruit?" Elma called out, interrupting Ricardo’s account.