Chapter 179 - 178: The Dinner Date

Chapter 179: Chapter 178: The Dinner Date

Teacher?

Kane then realized that the man before him was not the Mage he had thought.

He had the air of a Caster, but the long, cloth-wrapped object on his back made him look like a Warrior who used Long-Handled Weapons.

Kane had originally assumed he was like his own captain—a flashy Mage who held a gaudy weapon in his left hand for show while using his Right Hand for Spellcasting.

As the team’s Stalker, he was usually in charge of reconnaissance.

It was his habit to gather as much information as possible about the relevant Demons before a commission began.

In his many years as an Adventurer, Kane knew well the value of knowledge about Demons.

For example, this time, to understand the patterns and habits of the Frogman Cave, he had spent a good number of Silver Scales just to pry some useful intel from an Adventurer who often scraped by in the swamp.

And yet, this person had casually mentioned that he obtained this precious knowledge from his teacher’s private library.

This couldn’t help but stir a wave of envy and longing in his heart.

Moreover, his interest in the habits of Demons wasn’t just for preparing for commissions; he had a genuine and profound interest in these mysterious creatures.

’A private collection on Demon studies... Could I... could I borrow one or two?’

After an internal struggle, he suppressed the impulsive thought and slowly asked, "Excuse me, Mr. Gailen, your teacher is...?"

Hesia had only intended to provide a reasonable explanation for his source of information, based on the principle of intelligence exchange.

But since the other party had asked, he naturally wouldn’t miss this opportunity to subtly display his background.

"A Great Mage who prefers to remain anonymous."

"A Great Mage?!"

Kane’s pupils contracted sharply, and his usually calm face stiffened.

To Adventurers like them, who were scrambling to get by at the bottom, a Great Mage was practically a legendary figure.

While most Adventurers were still struggling just to become Professionals, even an Entry Level Professional would never get the chance to meet such a being.

Why would the student of such a person be in a remote place like Trout Town, accepting a commission to clear out Frogmen, instead of diligently studying in some Magic Tower or High-level Academy?

It wasn’t just him; Hesia’s teammates behind him also reacted in different ways.

Hayley’s eyes widened slightly. She recalled the precise Magic control and the composure beyond his years that Hesia had displayed in combat; it all seemed to have a more reasonable explanation now.

Priest Hughes gave Hesia a thoughtful glance before quickly resuming his usual gentle expression, though the corners of his mouth turned up in an unconscious smile.

Grek’s reaction was the most extreme.

The Warrior had been leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, looking as if he couldn’t care less. But when he heard the two words "Great Mage," his body went rigid. His gaze toward Hesia was instantly filled with lingering fear as he recalled provoking Hesia multiple times over Hayley when they first met. A cold sweat broke out on his back.

Hesia hadn’t responded at all back then. Thinking about it now, it was probably because he hadn’t even considered Grek worth his notice.

Then again, he recalled his repeated attempts to smooth things over during the latter half of their journey, and he felt slightly more at ease.

"So that’s how it is..." Kane was the first to recover from the shock. He took a deep breath, and when he looked at Hesia again, his expression had changed.

He swallowed the words he had been about to voice—tentatively asking to borrow a book—and didn’t dare bring it up again.

He adjusted his posture, trying his best to appear more courteous. "So, Mr. Gailen is a Mage of a distinguished lineage. It’s no wonder your thinking is so meticulous."

As he said this, he subconsciously glanced toward the door, sighed softly, and added in a low voice, "Much better than an unreliable Mage."

The two men outside the door had actually stopped arguing long ago.

They had even been pressed against the door, listening to most of the conversation inside.

Fletcher knew he would be the subject of comparison, so he hadn’t come back inside.

Hearing his teammate’s blatant jab, he finally couldn’t take it anymore.

"Kane! Are you talking smack about me?"

He poked his head in, his sky-blue eyes filled with grievance.

Hesia watched the scene, inexplicably amused.

Although the members of this squad complained a lot about their captain, judging by their playful bickering, their relationship seemed to be quite good.

From the looks of it, the Professional that Old Nick had mentioned must be this Mage named Fletcher.

’A Mage, huh...’

Hesia was curious about what this Mage could have done to earn such deep-seated resentment from his teammates, but he was also incredibly interested in the changes a Mage undergoes before and after their awakening.

Just as he was trying to think of an excuse to pry more information out of them, the blond Mage suddenly spoke.

"Say... do you know about Mages?"

Fletcher’s gaze burned as he looked at Hesia.

Hesia’s expression remained unchanged as he calmly uttered two words: "A little."

"A little?! You’re too modest, Mr. Gailen!" Fletcher looked as if he’d found his savior. "Your ’little’ is incredibly important to an artist like me, who’s been fumbling alone in the dark."

He rushed in front of Hesia and grabbed his arm, then, realizing his rudeness, quickly let go.

"You must understand! That feeling of wild Power surging through your body, yet being so difficult to control at times! You must understand that true art needs guidance, not... uh, not suppression, like some unappreciative Dwarf would say!" As he spoke, he didn’t forget to glare at Brendan, who was outside the door.

"How long has this been going on?"

"Two months! On a wonderful night two months ago!" A nostalgic look appeared on Fletcher’s face. "I was discussing the philosophy of life with a charming lady under the moonlight when, all of a sudden, I felt an unprecedented Power course through me!"

Seemingly realizing he shouldn’t be asking for free advice, he quickly said, "Mr. Gailen! Please allow me to invite you to dinner. I hope you can take your time and enlighten me."

Hesia understood.

’So he awakened two months ago,’

’And just as my teacher said, Mages can awaken naturally.’

When he had said he knew "a little," he had meant it literally.

Previously, after seeing his teacher Fevik with that little fairy named Nimo, he had also thought about contracting a fairy that could deliver letters via the Elf Wilderness.

That way, he could contact Isha, who was far away in Saint Vinnica. After all, she had offered to help him learn about contracts, so he should at least let her know he had temporarily resolved the issue.

He could also contact Cyril; he wondered how that guy was doing with his studies in Fernandez.

When he told Fevik his idea, his teacher had given him a book about the Elf Wilderness.

The book mentioned the "Wild Wave," a common Magic effect found in high-level fairies.

Hesia had originally planned to just tell him a few things to build a good relationship.

But now that the other man was so enthusiastic, Hesia certainly wasn’t going to refuse a free dinner.

"Alright."

Seeing Hesia agree, Fletcher quickly turned to look at his teammates.

To Hesia, it looked like he was a prisoner asking two Prison Guards for yard time.

Kane and Brendan had been keeping a close watch on him precisely because he couldn’t control this strange new ability.

Now that a "Student of the Great Mage," who seemed to know quite a bit about the subject, was willing to guide him, they naturally wouldn’t stand in his way.

Kane said, "I have no objection."

Outside the door, Brendan, who had been listening intently, let out a deep grunt, which served as his agreement.