The Forest Feeds No Idle Goblins

Chapter 69: Chapter 63: Two Rebellious Apprentices

"Using your teacher’s savings directly... that doesn’t seem right." Uncle Musa scratched his head, his tone apologetic.

"It’s fine, Uncle. I’ll talk to my teacher. The worst that can happen is I have to sweep the Magic Tower without magic for a month. My brother’s safety is more important," Vivian said calmly.

"Alright, I’ll do my best to make sure this business doesn’t lose money." Musa took the small cloth pouch, tucked it carefully inside his clothes, and hid it close to his body.

"Also, take this," Vivian said, taking a silver Ruby Necklace from around her neck and handing it to him. "It’s a magic item that can change your appearance."

"It’s quite effective. You’re an Islander, and the Fran People don’t pay much attention to Islanders with wheat-colored skin anyway. After a slight change to your appearance, no one should recognize you," Vivian thoughtfully explained. "Just put it on. Since you don’t know Magic, you can’t use Spiritual Power to suppress its effect like I can. To reverse the transformation, you’ll have to take it off by hand."

"Thank you, Vivian, but if I use it, what will you do?" Musa didn’t take the necklace right away, asking with concern.

"Don’t worry about me. I’ll use the cover of night to go straight back under the sea. No one will find me." Vivian smiled and waved her hand dismissively. "Your safety and my brother’s are what’s important. Please, you must be careful."

"Don’t you worry, little one." Musa took the necklace, examining its appearance, then placed it with the small cloth pouch.

"If you need to see me, go to the fish market by the docks. I go there to shop every few days. You just need to put up a sign that says, ’Tiger Head Shells in stock,’ and I’ll find you," Vivian carefully explained, setting up a way to contact her.

"Got it. I’ll spend the next few days looking for a merchant ship and cargo for sale. I’ll come find you once that’s all settled," Musa said with a hearty laugh.

"Do you still have your weapons and Armor? Do you need me to... ’get’ some from my teacher?" Vivian asked, her big eyes fluttering.

"Little one, stop stealing from your teacher. It’s not right. I still have all my gear, don’t worry." Musa affectionately ruffled the stray lock of hair on Vivian’s head.

"Stealing? Where are we going to steal from?" a voice suddenly rang out from above them. In a flash, Musa pulled Vivian behind him and threw a punch at the newcomer.

THUD. With a dull thud, he shattered a rock.

"Hey, watch the plates!" The newcomer dodged nimbly to one side. Only then did Musa see that he was also wearing a long black Cloak, holding a plate in each hand.

"Uncle Musa, he’s like me. He’s one of our teacher’s apprentices," Vivian said, grabbing Musa’s arm.

Staring at the newcomer, Musa slowly lowered his fist. "I’m really getting old," he said with a self-deprecating chuckle. "To think I didn’t even notice someone getting so close."

"You were just too happy to see me," Vivian said with a laugh, walking over and taking the plates from the newcomer.

"Senior Sister, the spicy grilled fish you mentioned. Two orders." The newcomer’s voice sounded young but carried a strange accent.

"I’ve told you, Mamadou, we’re both just apprentices. You don’t have to call me that," Vivian said with a smile. "This is Uncle Musa. He’s my family."

"Hello, Uncle Musa." The newcomer pulled back his hood, revealing coarse brown skin, tusks protruding from the corners of his mouth, and a black tattoo encircling his right eye.

"You’re a..." Musa trailed off. He’d heard of this race before, but he couldn’t believe one of them was Vivian’s "junior brother."

"That’s right, a Beastman. My name is Mamadou Oumou Werven Wenmuban..." the Beastman began, already acting familiar.

"You can just call him Mamadou," Vivian cut in, interrupting the Beastman’s "incantation." "So what’s the story with these two plates of grilled fish?"

"Oh, the fish! Eat up, eat up, before it gets cold." Mamadou pulled a few sets of cutlery from his pocket.

"You didn’t steal this from the kitchen of that old restaurant, did you?" Vivian asked with a frown.

"Nope, I paid for it," Mamadou said with a grin. "I phased through a wall and overheard the kitchen staff saying these two plates of fish were for the city hall officials in a private room, so I just dropped some money and walked off with them."

"Nice work. Now, don’t do it again. Don’t waste your Earth Element Coordination of 93," Vivian sighed. She glanced around, wondering where to put the plates.

"’Elemental buddies, help a brother out. I ask you, take shape!’" Mamadou made a series of flashy hand signs, and the ground began to bulge upward.

Musa stared in astonishment as the Beastman across from him chanted a phrase in Beastman Speech he couldn’t understand. The dirt and rocks on the ground immediately began to rise, finally forming a platform like a large tree stump.

’Amazing. That must be a very powerful Spell,’ he thought.

"Let’s put them here, Senior Sister," Mamadou said with a grin.

The three of them chatted as they ate the two plates of spicy grilled fish, hidden away in the alley.

"My teacher found him while traveling and brought him back."

"What? You used to live on the Eternal Bright Plane? Where is that?"

"I’ll take you to see it someday, Uncle."

"I want to travel everywhere like our teacher, too."

"Speaking of which, Senior Sister, are you still studying that book, *Spencer’s Fantasy Travelogue*?"

"Mhm, when I have time, I’ll start by searching the Saruo Islands."

"Little one, the Archipelago is many days’ journey by sea."

"The spices from over there aren’t cheap on the mainland."

"Your Senior Sister here still doesn’t know how to make this spicy grilled fish, so nothing you say will work."

"Hm? Uncle Musa, you’re buying a ship? Do you have enough money?" Mamadou piped up after hearing them discuss buying a ship to transport spices.

"He has enough," Vivian answered immediately.

"Well then, take this." Mamadou rummaged around in his clothes and pulled out a plain money pouch.

"What’s this?" Vivian asked, confused. She felt like she’d seen the money pouch somewhere before.

"Oh, it’s our teacher’s wallet," Mamadou said casually.

"You... you took our teacher’s wallet and..."

"It’s fine, he’s used to it. The first time our teacher met me, he caught me red-handed trying to pick his pocket," Mamadou said nonchalantly, spearing a piece of fish.

Vivian snatched the money pouch and shoved it into Uncle Musa’s robes. "Uncle, hold on to this."

"This... isn’t this a bit much...?" Uncle Musa tried to object. After all, they were stealing a Great Mage’s wallet. Wouldn’t he fly into a rage out of sheer embarrassment?

"It’s fine. At worst, we’ll get another month of organizing the library and another month of training the Little Fishmen."

Mamadou chimed in, "You get used to the sweeping after a while. I’ve been cleaning the Magic Tower for months. Besides, even if our teacher loses his wallet, he still has his savings. He’ll be fine."

"Eat, eat," Vivian urged, looking a little embarrassed.

Uncle Musa looked at the two audacious Mage Apprentices before him and silently swallowed a mouthful of fish.

"These two plates don’t seem to be enough," Mamadou said. "I think I’ll go check on that private room at city hall again."