Chapter 82: The Aura of the Strong

Chapter 82: Chapter 82: The Aura of the Strong

"Silver? You’re already a Silver Level master? Can you take me adventuring with you in the future?"

Just then, Lady Cassandra’s voice, tinged with a warning, came from a distance: "Tom! Stop bothering our guests while they’re eating and go back to your room and rest!"

However, Thomas’s entire attention was captivated by the shiny silver badge, and he didn’t hear his mother’s call at all.

He stared blankly at the badge, then looked at Zoya, his eyes sparkling with adoration.

"Wow! What’s your Profession?"

"Can you be my teacher?"

"Miss?"

Thomas was like a magpie that had discovered treasure, chattering incessantly around the quietly eating Zoya, throwing out one question after another.

Zoya’s fork finally paused in her hand, but she didn’t look up. A single, cold word came from under her hood:

"No."

Thomas: "..."

The boy’s excited words came to an abrupt halt. He felt himself locked in by an icy aura, a feeling completely different from the previous tenants. He even felt that all of them combined would be no match for this Stalker.

After a long while, he lowered his voice and said to Hesia in a tone full of awe, "...Truly a legendary Silver Level Adventurer."

Hesia sized up Zoya. ’So my suspicion about her "disguise" was right. This is her true self—cold and indifferent to strangers.’

’Then why did she act so dependent and clumsy around me before?’

Just then, as if sensing something, Zoya slowly raised her head.

Her purple eyes held a look of slight dependence, like a small animal that had done something right and was waiting for its master’s praise.

This instantaneous change left Hesia a little bewildered, and a strange feeling welled up in his heart.

He quickly averted his gaze and changed the subject by speaking to Thomas. "Is there any need to be so scared, our future Adventurer?"

"Of course there is!" Thomas’s tone was filled with a matter-of-fact reverence. "That’s Silver Level! Don’t you know? Silver Level is the highest Adventurer level in our Rose Town!"

Hesia was stunned to hear this.

’I really hadn’t paid much attention to this before.’

’In my mind, weren’t there Gold, Mithril, and even higher levels above that?’

’I’d always thought Silver Level was just the mid-tier.’

Just then, Lady Cassandra’s voice came from the distance again, much closer this time and much sterner: "Thomas! Did a goblin chew your ears off?!"

Apparently, Lady Cassandra had arrived on the battlefield, ready to personally apprehend her disobedient son.

Just as Thomas was about to ask something else, he felt a familiar killing intent wash over him.

"Didn’t Mr. Jonathan tell you to get to the training ground early tomorrow morning?"

He stiffly shrank his neck and looked back, only to see that a thin, flexible vine had been placed on his neck at some point. The cold touch made the hairs on his body stand on end.

Thomas recognized it. It was the vine his mother used to dry clothes, and also the "Justice Enforcer" that had left countless red marks in his childhood memories.

"M-M-Mother," Thomas’s voice trembled violently, "I... I was... just asking... for... for advice..."

Just when he thought his doom was inevitable tonight, a voice of salvation finally came.

"Lady Cassandra, Thomas wasn’t bothering us. I was asking him about the training ground in town."

The vine, which was about to strike, stopped instantly and was then withdrawn.

The stern look on Lady Cassandra’s face melted into a slightly apologetic smile. "Oh, is that so? It seems I’ve wronged you, Tom."

Her gaze shifted to her son, her tone softening slightly, but the warning in it did not diminish.

"You answer his questions properly, and don’t get sidetracked with irrelevant topics, you hear?"

Thomas, as if granted amnesty, nodded like a chick pecking at rice and shot Hesia a grateful look.

Only then did Lady Cassandra turn and leave, satisfied.

A battle between a bottom and a vine was thus averted.

Hesia did indeed have questions for him:

"Thomas, you work at the training ground?"

"Yes, Big Brother Galen!" Thomas immediately changed his form of address, his attitude becoming extremely respectful. "Please, just tell me what you need!"

"The training ground where you work, does it have facilities for Magic training?"

Thomas thought for a moment and said, "I think so? I’m not too sure. We mostly do weapons training there."

"What kind of training do you offer?"

"I don’t know about that," Thomas said, scratching his head. "Mr. Jonathan just has us apprentices help clean and maintain the weapons and armor that people use for training."

"When you leave tomorrow, call for me. We’ll go together."

"Okay, Big Brother Galen!"

...

「The next morning.」

After the two finished the hearty breakfast prepared by Lady Cassandra, they set off together.

The training ground wasn’t far, located near the town’s North Gate.

Before long, a building enclosed by thick logs with a sign of a crossed sword and shield hanging over the entrance appeared before them.

The din of clashing weapons and shouts could already be heard from inside.

Thomas pointed to a small door. "Big Brother Galen, I have to go to the backyard to work first."

Then he glanced fearfully in the direction of the main entrance and said to Hesia, "You can go directly to the main hall to find Mr. Jonathan. He’s the owner here. He’s that strongest-looking bald guy over there. Really easy to spot."

Hesia thanked him and walked toward the owner.

...

Inside the training ground’s main hall, all sorts of weapons were on dazzling display.

A stout, middle-aged man in a leather apron was checking a ledger.

Just as Thomas had said, his glistening bald head was indeed very conspicuous.

Hesia stated his purpose.

"Magic training area, sure." Jonathan sized him up. "The fee is 50 copper nails a day. What kind of target do you want?"

"A straw target is fine."

"Alright." Jonathan nodded and added, "By the way, we also offer weapons training services here. Do you need any?"

"Do you have Magic Wands?" Hesia asked casually.

Hearing this, Jonathan’s thick eyebrows knitted together. He said irritably, "Kid, this is a training ground, not a Magic Shop! We have Sword and Shield sets, Two-Handed Axes, spears, clubs, daggers—all of those! A sparring partner is 1 Silver Scale a day. If you need my personal instruction, it’s 10 Silver Scales a day!"

Hesia’s eyes shifted away from the man’s bald head, where a faint red halo surrounded the number 19, indicating his level.

’This Mr. Jonathan is a level 19 veteran Adventurer, with one foot almost in the realm of Professionals.’

’With his level of strength, that price for instruction really isn’t expensive.’

’I really should find a melee weapon to practice with.’

’Especially after killing that Thorny Wild Boar with a dagger, I’ve realized that even with [Earth Affinity], Magic Power isn’t always as direct as a sharp blade. Mastering a melee weapon would give me another tool for survival.’

’But not today. Improving my [Earth Spike Technique] is the top priority.’