Mira had always heard that gatherings were the liveliest times.

Mira had lived in the Magic Nexus all her life. The city where the Magic Nexus was located didn’t belong to any country on the continent. It was a self-organized city-state formed by mages coming together after the establishment of the association to meet their daily needs. In the Magic Nexus, the currency circulating in the human world was of little use. Mages preferred bartering, exchanging magic items they didn’t need for those they did.

Just like how the Magic Nexus differentiated people by their robes of different colors into ranks, the market born from magic was the same—everywhere was dull and lifeless.

But the market in front of Mira was completely different.

Mira smelled it first. The air was filled with a tempting fragrance. Having only eaten some dry food throughout the day, Mira immediately felt hungry as the aroma hit her.

She carried her basket and walked along the edge of the street, quickly spotting a stall with steam rising from it.

Muffins with fried meat.

A combination she had never seen before. Mira stood at a distance, watching the vendor pour thick, sweet maple syrup over the freshly baked muffins and then stuff a juicy fried meat patty into a paper bag.

How strange. Mira furrowed her brow. The cafeteria in the Magic Nexus would never have such a sweet-and-savory combination.

Although the food in the cafeteria wasn’t bad, there was always a strict rule in the Magic Nexus.

Vegetables were vegetables, meat was meat, beans would never be served alongside meat, and sweet and salty flavors would never appear in the same meal.

But now, the maple syrup was dripping onto the savory grilled meat.

This was so weird.

However, Mira was at an age where everything was new and interesting to her. Her life in the Magic Nexus had been so orderly that she was filled with curiosity about new ways of living.

Mira took a gold coin from her pocket without hesitation and walked toward the stall.

"I’ll have one of those," Mira said, pointing at the bag the previous customer was holding. "Just like hers."

The vendor paused at the unfamiliar accent, raising his head to glance at Mira. As expected, it was a face he had never seen before.

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But the vendor didn’t say anything. He skillfully poured muffin batter onto the hot iron plate and placed a piece of grilled meat on the other side.

The sizzling sound filled the air.

Mira watched intently, fixating on his every move.

This was an experience she had never had before. In the Magic Nexus, there probably wasn’t any mage who would care how food was made.

Although the cafeteria’s kitchen didn’t explicitly forbid visiting, no mage would waste their precious time watching how their meals were prepared every day.

Mira never had the opportunity. As an apprentice, there were always endless tasks to do.

She observed the vendor’s quick movements and thought to herself—she could build a stove in the tower. While making complex food was a bit difficult for her, with a recipe, it wouldn’t be hard to fill her stomach.

In this day and age, if a mage were to die from starvation, it would be a huge joke.

The vendor didn’t know all these strange thoughts in Mira’s head. He skillfully put the muffin and fried meat into the same bag and squeezed a generous amount of syrup on top.

Oh my god. Mira looked at the thick syrup on the muffin. This was going to be so sweet. And it was all over the grilled meat too.

She took the bag from the vendor.

"Five coppers," the vendor said.

Mira took the gold coin from her pocket and handed it to the vendor.

When the vendor saw the shiny gold coin in his hand, he paused for a moment, then looked Mira up and down, showing an expression of hesitation.

"Please wait a moment," he said to Mira. "I can’t change this. I need to go get some smaller change."

Mira nodded and watched as the vendor quickly removed his apron and hurried toward another, slightly larger store behind him.

"Boss, change, I need change."

Seeing him leave, Mira didn’t feel shy anymore. The muffins and fried meat were still giving off steam, and she wasn’t afraid of getting burned. She quickly blew on them and took a small bite from the edge.

Mira instantly furrowed her brow.

So hot, so hot. Then, the sweetness gradually exploded in her mouth, making Mira raise her eyebrows in surprise.

She took another bite, this time touching the part with the grilled meat juices. The sweet-and-salty combination created a new sensation she had never experienced before.

Mira hastened her pace, and by the time the vendor returned with the change, she had already finished the food in her hand.

"I’ll have another one," she said to the vendor. Mira thought she could bring one back for Lance to try. He was a mage too, and she wondered if his magical association also ate standard meals every day like the Magic Nexus.

The vendor glanced at her.

"That will be one silver coin."

"No problem."

The vendor kept the silver coin, handing the remaining change back to Mira.

He looked around to make sure no one was watching before he said to her, "This is your change, be sure to hold on to it."

Mira understood the vendor’s hint and looked around, seeing no one paying attention to them.

She understood the vendor’s good intentions but wasn’t worried. It wouldn’t be easy to rob a mage.

The vendor quickly finished grilling the next muffin and fried meat and handed it to Mira. The young girl smiled and thanked him, placing the food into her basket.

"Excuse me, where can I find a rice shop around here?" Mira asked.

"At the end of the street, the one with the sign hanging up," the vendor replied.

Mira nodded and walked toward the direction the vendor pointed.