Free Web NovelChapter 106: Chapter 97: Please Teach Me Magic
Evening came quickly.
Camping with a bustling group of about twenty people felt different from the nights he had spent on previous adventures. It was much livelier, and the tense atmosphere was gone.
Of course, that might have been because they now had an incredibly steadying presence in their ranks.
Weary from the long journey, everyone set up their tents and laid traps. Afterward, they gathered in small groups around the campfires, eating and chatting.
Most of the Adventurers were with their families. The exception was Solan, who would occasionally wander over to Alton’s camp to exchange flirtatious glances with his daughter, Bena.
Ali and Lena sat together, whispering to one another.
Lin Mo sat alone by the fire he had just built, looking rather lonely.
But this was perfect. He had something he wanted to do.
Lin Mo spread butter and cheese on a piece of bread, then added a slice of grilled jerky that was sizzling and oozing with fat. He took this simple sandwich and walked toward the rather luxurious tent.
Flora was sitting alone before her campfire, staring blankly into the flames.
A powerful Mage commanded respect, but she also intimidated the Adventurers and commoners, none of whom dared to strike up a casual conversation. Because of this, Flora hadn’t really spoken to anyone in a long time since leaving the academy.
For someone with such a fiery personality, this loneliness was an unfamiliar feeling. And then there was the food...
As the Kingdom’s official Magic Academy, Saint Antonia Academy served quite sumptuous meals. Being an Elite Level Mage, Flora never lacked the money to enjoy fine food. But while traveling, even the best rations she could buy were a far cry from those exquisitely prepared dishes.
This was especially true now. The fine breads of the Royal Capital couldn’t be found in Roland Town. To the Ordinary people of the town, the white bread in her hand might be a rare delicacy, but to Flora, who was accustomed to gourmet delicacies, it was merely a tool to stave off hunger.
"Miss Flora, would you like to try this?" freёwebnovel.com
Lin Mo walked up to her and offered her the "sandwich" in his hand.
Flora looked at him in surprise, her gaze shifting to the rather unappealing-looking food.
It didn’t look like much, but it gave off a decent aroma. She took the sandwich. Seeing the grease drip onto the grass, she hesitated and pursed her lips, but finally took a small bite.
A sweet and savory flavor melted in her mouth. The slightly charred jerky had a unique taste.
Overall, it still had a certain cheapness to it, different from the "sophistication" of food from the Royal Capital, but it was quite interesting. It seemed even tastier than the meal she had at the tavern in town.
Flora raised her eyebrows in surprise. No longer caring about the grease, she began to eat it in large bites.
Lin Mo smiled faintly. ’Just as I thought. Even a noble Mage accustomed to grand feasts can’t resist the power of street food.’
He had already used these simple sandwiches to get closer to many people. Lin Mo liked to call it his "sandwich diplomacy."
"This is pretty good. Did you make it?"
Flora finished the food and wiped her hands with a silk handkerchief.
"It’s a dish from my hometown. It’s not exactly amazing, but its strength is its simplicity. You can even eat it easily while on an adventure."
As he spoke, Lin Mo casually sat down beside her.
"Are you from the Royal Capital, Miss Flora?"
Flora nodded. "But not from the kind of noble family you’re imagining. I was just an orphan wandering the streets of the Royal Capital... I had a stroke of luck and found my way to the path of Magic."
She didn’t elaborate, but from that, Lin Mo could imagine why she hated arrogant and domineering nobles.
’A little girl wandering the streets alone, begging for food,’ he thought. ’It’s easy to imagine she was beaten and cursed more than a few times by those outwardly glamorous nobles.’
"There are good people among the nobles, too. Like Lady Raphael, who took me in."
It was as if a dam had burst; Flora began to chat animatedly. "At the time, I had nowhere to go. I could only rely on the charity of a few kind restaurant owners to barely survive. It was Lady Raphael who brought me home, gave me food, bought me clothes, and allowed me to enter her library and read through her precious books..."
"And now she’s..."
"Lady Raphael has passed away."
Flora’s tone was filled with sorrow. "She was also an instructor at the Saint Antonia Magic Academy. She was tragically killed during an operation fighting Demons."
"I’m sorry."
Flora shook her head. "Lady Raphael burned brightly on the path she chose. That isn’t a bad thing."
"I think Lady Raphael would be proud if she could see you now."
"Hee hee."
Flora’s crisp laughter echoed in the air. "You’re quite the smooth-talker, little one. Alright, spit it out. What do you want?"
Lin Mo scratched his head in embarrassment. ’She saw right through me.’
Since that was the case, he dropped the act and took the scroll from his robes.
"Actually, it’s about this..."
It was the scroll left behind by Flora’s student, which she had chosen not to take back.
"Please, teach me Magic!"
Lin Mo looked into her eyes, his gaze fervent.
Ever since coming to this world, from the very day he obtained that scroll, he had wanted nothing more than to learn Magic and become one of the incredibly powerful Mages of legend.
That desire had grown even stronger, especially after witnessing Flora’s terrifying power firsthand.
