Adam, Edward, and Lisa leisurely walked by the River Aurei, chatting with one another in a jolly mood. After having dinner at Adam's place, the trio departed for Mystic Lane.
It was the start of the weekend and that could only mean one thing for these teenagers.
Night had fallen and the Lunar Bridge had lit up with a resplendent, starry light. The most famous landmark of Moon City, no matter how many times the residents laid their eyes on it, would always take their breath away.
The trio made their way to Drunken Siren, a special bar situated right beside the starry bridge. As they made their way into this establishment, they were greeted by its owner.
"Oh? Adam!" The portly bartender was pleasantly surprised. "Long time so see." He then glanced at the couple behind the youth and smiled warmly. "Looks like the whole gang is here as well."
Adam walked up to the bartender and shook his hand. "How've you been, Choji?"
"Eh, same old." Choji chuckled as he shook the youth's hand. "You guys entering the lane?"
"That's right." Adam nodded and then handed three gold pieces to the man.
Choji accepted the money and gestured to them. "Alright, come on in. You know the drill."
"Nice to see you again, Choji."
"We'll catch you later."
Edward and Lisa greeted the bartender amicably and then walked past the bar counter toward the back door. The trio arrived at a deserted alley and then walked toward the dead end.
Adam pressed a few inconspicuous bricks on the wall and then weaved a series of hand signs. The wall started to rumble and then separated from the middle, forming a secret passage to Mystic Lane.
As soon as the trio walked through the passage and arrived at the other end, a familiar magical scene greeted them.
A crowded cobblestoned street filled with ancient, medieval buildings on both sides. These buildings appeared crooked and bizarre, seemingly about to collapse at any moment. Yet, they remained sturdy.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"})The place was lit up by countless magical candles that hovered a few meters above the buildings. Beyond the candles, one could see multi-colored clouds hovering lazily.
"This place never ceases to amaze me," Adam smiled brightly.
"Myu~" Valerian, who had stuck his head out from the youth's robes, glanced at the candles in the air with an entranced look.
As the trio made their way through the crowd, Edward asked curiously, "Has John already reached?"
"I suppose…" Adam shrugged his shoulders.
"He seemed very eager to meet us. I wonder what it's about." Lisa chimed in.
"Oh, by the way!" Edward elbowed Adam and asked with a chuckle, "Did you give John a mana extraction technique too?"
Adam simply rolled his eyes, "Heh, do you think I have a library filled with precious techniques inside my head or something?"
He did.
But they didn't need to know.
Edward squinted his eyes and then nodded, "Hmm, that sounds reasonable." Suddenly, he thought of something and asked, "Why not give one of our techniques to him?"
Adam looked at him and smirked, "Fatty, the techniques I've gifted you both are valuable enough to build an empire around it. An empire that would last for generations to come. Do you still wanna share it with others?"
Edward was tongue-tied. He then thought of something and asked shamelessly, "Hehe, then why did you give it to us?"
"Tsk." Adam looked away. "If you ask any more stupid questions, I'll beat you."
"Hehehe." Edward was about to tease the youth some more, but then Lisa pulled him back. She looked at him with a faint smile while shaking her head.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"})Some things need not be said.
Because actions speak louder than words.
Lisa stepped forward and asked solemnly, "Adam, is it okay if we share the technique with our family members?"
"Hmm…" Adam went into deep thought as he stroked his chin. After a moment of pondering, he nodded. "You can share it with your direct family members. The less people know, the better."
"Okay!" Lisa beamed. If she could share the mana extraction technique with her mother and younger brother, she wouldn't have to worry about their progress as Magi.
As for Edward, who had a big family with quite a lot of members in it, he decided to only share it with his parents.
When he would go to the Empire next year, he would share it with his sister, Elaine, as well.
"Oh, and one more thing," Adam added with a solemn gaze. "Don't tell your parents it was from me. Otherwise, I'll be bombarded with countless questions.
"You may not realize the true value of these techniques, but the same couldn't be said about your parents who are Rank 2 Magi. Okay?"
"Then what do you want us to tell them?" Edward was puzzled. He was not good in the lying department.
"How the heck should I know?" Adam made an ugly face. "That's up to you to decide. Say you got it from the secret plane. Or a dragon came to you in your dreams and imparted the technique to you."
"Myu! Myu!" Valerian nodded with a smug smile.
"Aww, Little Val~" Lisa gently grabbed the little guy and started cradling him in her arms. "Why are you acting so smug? Do you believe you're a dragon? How cute!"
Only one word echoed inside Valerian's mind.
Heh!
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "663633fa8ebf7442f0652b33", id: "pf-8817-1"})"Speaking of," Edward recalled something and asked, "Father was asking about you. When are you planning to meet him?"
"Tomorrow, for sure," Adam replied.
He still had to hand over the barrels of wine that he had made. Just thinking of the amount of money he would make from the transaction, the youth couldn't help but start to drool.
The trio soon made their way to one of the more famous cafes in Mystic Lane known as Potion & Pint. This cafe was known for serving alcohol that had minute healing properties.
"Guys, here!" In one of the outdoor seating areas, a burly young man wearing fine silk robes excitedly waved at them.
"Kekeke, Johnny boy!" Adam laughed out loud as he approached Johnathan and gave him a tight hug. "What's gotten into you? You sounded like you had something urgent to talk about."
"I'll tell you in a bit." Johnathan grinned. He then greeted Edward and Lisa and welcomed them to the seating area.
The trio were slightly surprised to see another person sitting at the table. It was a beautiful young lady with auburn hair. She also studied at the academy, however, the trio had never interacted with her before.
"Guys, this is Felicia," Johnathan introduced his friends to the young lady with a bright smile. "My girlfriend."
"Hello, everyone!" Felicia greeted them cheerfully. "It's a pleasure to meet you all."
Hah? Girlfriend? Again? Adam's lips twitched. This guy changes girlfriends as frequently as I change my clothes!
After the two parties had gotten to know each other, Edward looked at Johnathan and asked curiously, "So, what is it?"
"I have some good news to share," Johnathan chuckled, barely able to hide his excitement. He made eye contact with Felicia and both nodded at each other with a warm smile.
The burly youth then turned to look at his friends and grinned.
"Felicia and I are getting engaged!"
