“This is the whole process of how I, the Young Master, awakened my mana.” Luo Lin sat on a chair, eating skewers while gesticulating dramatically.
In the small barbecue stall, a few tables and chairs were scattered around. The grill was burning brightly. The shop was small but clean.
The sizzling, oil-dripping skewers, paired with bubbly wheat juice, and the brothers chatting and bragging with each other—it was the ultimate enjoyment. It’s not about what you eat, but who you eat with.
He looked at the slender, handsome boy sitting across from him, resting his chin on his hand, quietly listening to him brag.
Every time Lia listened quietly to his stories like this, he couldn’t help but feel an irrepressible sense of pride, his desire to share being greatly satisfied.
“Young Master is amazing! Young Master is invincible!” Niu Zi, sitting at the table, hurriedly stuffed the sizzling lamb skewers into his mouth, not forgetting to praise his young master. In his heart, his young master was the best.
Luo Lin covered his face, unable to bear watching Niu Zi blindly praise him, and turned back to look at Lia.
“By the way, Brother Lia, last time that bastard cultist injured Niu Zi and me so badly. We recovered thanks to your potions!” Luo Lin gratefully grabbed the “boy’s” smooth little hand.
In the original owner’s memory, this Brother Lia, who looked very delicate and even somewhat like a girl, was a potion merchant that Luo Lin had met by chance in the Lower District many years ago when he was a child.
At that time, because he didn’t have a residence permit for the Royal Capital, he was caught by a patrolling knight in public like a chicken. His little face was all red. Coincidentally, Luo Lin and Niu Zi happened to pass by.
The number one playboy of the Royal Capital benevolently saved this golden-haired pretty boy.
Later, after knowing each other for a long time, Luo Lin realized that “Lia” was practically a walking alchemy master, a wish-granting machine for Luo Lin. There was no potion he couldn’t concoct.
More importantly, he and Luo Lin were birds of a feather, hitting it off instantly, almost becoming sworn brothers.
“Good brother, with your talent, being a traveling merchant is a waste. Why don’t you come with me to take the exam for Sera Academy?” Luo Lin tightened his grip on her little hand, looking at Lia with hopeful eyes.
Lia squinted, used her left hand to brush aside the stray strands of hair falling by her ear, thought for a moment, then waved her hand at Luo Lin with a smile and politely declined:
“Forget it, Brother Luo Lin. You know I’m just a Non-magical Person, and I smuggled myself from the Carlos Empire to the Papal State to make a living. If it weren’t for you last time, I might have been thrown into prison by the knight lords. How could I possibly have the qualifications to take the exam for the continent’s top academy?”
The golden-haired boy’s delicate brows furrowed, and she helplessly spread her hands.
“Huh? Young Master, you’re going to study at Sera Academy?” Hearing his young master’s words, Niu Zi, whose hands were full of lamb and mouth greasy, shouted excitedly.
“As expected, Young Master, you’re finally going to show the whole continent your true strength!” Just as if Luo Lin had already been admitted to Sera Academy, he jumped onto the chair and started dancing a creaky belly dance, waving his arms wildly.
“I knew it! Young Master, you’re the best!”
“Eat! Can’t even food shut your mouth?” Luo Lin shoved two more beef skewers into Niu Zi’s already stuffed mouth.
This Niu Zi, always praising him like that—what if one day he really got swollen-headed and went to provoke those Heaven’s Chosen Female Protagonists? Wouldn’t his life be over?
Speaking of Heaven’s Chosen Female Protagonists, Luo Lin glanced at the wanted poster stuck on the old, yellowed pillar of the barbecue stall.
The Holy Light Temple had a large quantity of sacred medicines stolen by an unknown thief. Residents of the Papal State with clues are requested to come to the Temple Knights Order to provide information.
Do you know where the Holy Light Temple is? That’s the territory of the Saintess! Although with the changing times, the Saintess now mostly symbolizes the will of the Goddess Selar rather than wielding real power like a secular monarch, the Church of Light is still the largest religion on the entire Sera Continent.
Every country has more or less their believers, and every region, big or small, has their churches.
Her influence meant that any empire emperor, even the King of Higher Races, had to treat her respectfully as a distinguished guest with the highest honors.
But here’s the strange part. In the original owner’s memory, it was said that the Holy Light Temple had an entire sack of sacred medicines stolen. The thief was so arrogant, the impact so severe, yet later the matter just fizzled out? This exceptionally wise Saintess didn’t investigate to the end?
Forget it, forget it. On second thought, matters of the Heaven’s Chosen Female Protagonist had nothing to do with him, Luo Lin. He should just enjoy the barbecue with his brothers. Little Brother Lia had silently helped him so much—what could he do for his brother?
With that thought, Luo Lin activated his World-Shaking Wisdom!
“Hey, speaking of which, Little Brother Lia, do you want to awaken your mana?”
Luo Lin suddenly leaned close to the beautiful youth’s ear, put an arm around Lia’s slender waist, and said mysteriously.
“I know how terrible it feels to have no mana on this continent—being looked down upon everywhere and facing obstacles everywhere. You’ve helped me so many times over the years. I learned a few tricks from that despicable blond jock.
How about I spend some money to hire a few master alchemists to guide your mana?”
“Although I doubt you’ll become as strong as that Lucia, since you can brew such good potions, you’ll probably awaken a decent talent at least.”
According to Luo Lin’s understanding, since the young new emperor ascended the throne in the Carlos Empire, which Lia came from, he and his Ryers Family behind him had engaged in grand construction projects and craved glory, causing continuous Civil Strife throughout the empire.
Many Carlos commoners were displaced, not knowing where their next meal would come from. In such circumstances, many Carlos people couldn’t even secure the basic necessities of life, let alone awaken their mana at the appropriate age.
Many who clearly had magical talent wasted it in vain. Luo Lin firmly believed that his good brother, who was so talented, must have been displaced by the tyranny of that detestable Carlos emperor, preventing him from awakening his mana.
From this perspective, setting aside his personal feelings, Sister Ailin was truly a wise ruler. Throughout the entire Papal State, from towns to villages, even in remote areas, mages were arranged to help children of appropriate age awaken their mana.
Even children from poor families had their tuition and fees waived when enrolling in academies.
Just as Luo Lin was pondering, he didn’t notice that his usually calm good brother beside him had blushed in his arms, a hint of shyness appearing in her emerald eyes.
“Alright, alright, we’ve been brothers for years now. What’s with all the hugging? You keep mentioning that girl named Lucia today. Have you taken a liking to her?” Lia, her face red, quickly interjected to change the subject. The warm firelight shone on the youth’s face, making her look like a shy angel.
Me thinks that’s not a brother.