Under EeDeChi's lead, the Last Defender of the Way adventurer team spent a fortune to use a teleportation circle and arrived in a city on the border of the Baharuth Empire. On the other side of the border was their bitter rival—the Re-Estize Kingdom.
They temporarily settled in an expensive inn where a night's stay for the six of them cost a gold coin. But since EeDeChi had money now, they naturally chose to stay somewhere nicer.
The innkeeper cast a suspicious glance at the loli twin girls they brought along. It was indeed unusual to see adventurers with such young girls. If the girls hadn't been so friendly to EeDeChi and the others, the innkeeper would have surely suspected them of being child traffickers and reported them to the sheriff.
That evening, in the inn's lobby, the Last Defender of the Way was preparing to head to the city's Adventurer's Guild. An elderly man in a long robe with a graying beard walked into the inn. His eyes scanned the four adventurers one by one, finally landing on Stella in her cleric uniform. He exclaimed, "Stella Famillion, is that you? My dear student!"
Stella stopped in her tracks at the sound, looking at the old man with surprise. "Master, what are you doing here?"
"It's been a long time! You've grown into such a beautiful young woman," the old man said with a warm smile, embracing the excited Stella. The two of them sat together on a soft chair in the lobby and chatted for a long while.
It turns out this old man's name is James Simon. He was once Stella's teacher and is a high-tier mage proficient in 4th Tier magic, with dual talents in Arcane Magic and Divine Magic.
Not only is he highly accomplished in magic, holding a prestigious position in the empire, but he also served as a teacher in the Gaia Temple, where he taught Stella for quite some time.
Though Stella wasn't the most accomplished or gifted student he had, her sweet appearance, lively personality, and diligent learning made her a favorite among the teachers.
Unfortunately, due to family circumstances, Stella had to leave the temple and become an adventurer to support her family. James was deeply regretful and had supported her for a considerable time, but he couldn't bring her back to the temple.
He glanced at the slightly worn dark-gold magic staff Stella held, took a bag of coins from the lining of his green robe, and handed it to her. "Go get yourself some better equipment. Consider it a gift from your teacher. Better gear means you can earn more rewards."
Stella pushed the bag back to James. "Thank you, Master, but I have enough money now. I'll buy new equipment tomorrow. Our team leader is really kind; she just gave me 80 gold coins!"
She then took out a linen bag, untied the string, and showed it to the old man. Inside the gray bag were piles of shining gold coins.
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James gasped in surprise, put away his own bag of coins, and started chatting with Stella about recent events.
Though the old man's beard was gray, he was still very lively. He struck up a conversation with Barrett. The old man was quite talkative and got along well with Barrett, a seasoned adventurer. When discussing the habits and characteristics of magical creatures, he would laugh heartily, his gray beard quivering and revealing a few bright golden teeth.
After chatting with Barrett, he moved on to chat with Sean. Finally, he approached EeDeChi and mysteriously asked her to step outside the inn to discuss something.
The sky had darkened, and the fiery red clouds reflected the golden edges of the setting sun. A few women with clay pots on their heads hurried along the street. EeDeChi glanced at James and casually asked, "Old man, what's up?"
James raised an eyebrow, somewhat put off by her lack of respect. Despite his mastery in magic, his age was sixty or seventy years more than EeDeChi's. However, his good manners soon made him put aside his annoyance. He spoke with a hint of curiosity, "Adventurer leader, what kind of tasks do your team usually undertake? Stella's magical talent isn't particularly outstanding among her peers, and she had to stop her magical studies due to family issues…"
Slowly, EeDeChi picked up on the subtext in James's words. The implication was that Stella's magical ability was not extraordinary, yet she had received 80 gold coins, which seemed far beyond her capability. Was this because EeDeChi had money to burn, or had her team engaged in some shady, dangerous work?
The adventurer leader rolled her eyes. "How I spend my money is none of your business. Those gold coins are…"
She had initially wanted to say it was a gift from the emperor, but recalling Barrett's advice to stay low-key, she changed her story and used Barrett's suggested phrasing: "It was a noble from the City Alliance who gave it to me. I found a dragon's treasure hoard for him."
If an adventurer dares to mess with a dragon, they must be pretty skilled. James had his doubts but could tell from EeDeChi's demeanor and appearance that she was an exceptionally upright and righteous person, so he didn't press the issue further.
He changed the subject and asked, "What do you think of Sean? Has he been inappropriate with Stella in any way?"
It was obvious to anyone that Sean had a crush—no, a full-blown affection—for Stella and was very attentive to her. He hadn't confessed his feelings yet, and Stella hadn't shown any indication of accepting them.
James was naturally concerned that Sean, a platinum-level adventurer, might be harassing his excellent student.
EeDeChi nodded and said, "Sean is a bit impulsive. His vision isn't very ambitious, and he lacks inner strength, which can lead to setbacks in this materialistic world. He often acts on emotions rather than intelligence. However, he is honest and well-intentioned, with a Justice Value of 224, which is quite rare.
"As for their romantic issues, in free love, as long as both parties consent, the organization won't interfere. But if they want to marry, they'll need to submit a marriage application after turning 18. It's a formality that must be followed."
What? Marriage… application? Organization? James stroked his silver goatee. Even with his vast knowledge, he didn't quite understand what EeDeChi was talking about. It seemed a bit embarrassing to ask someone sixty or seventy years younger for clarification.
He gave EeDeChi a few more instructions, mainly to take good care of Stella since she was frail and from a poor family.
EeDeChi nodded perfunctorily, responding with "uh-huh." James then gave each of them a magical accessory, said he was heading to a gathering with some old friends, and left the inn.
Later, James had promised to return to the inn to tutor Stella in magic. Stella waited for days in vain, but the old man never showed up again.